KAROSHI – The Heirophant
Album: KAROSHI – Idola
Genre: Progressive Metal
Location: Calgary, AB. Canada 🇨🇦
For fans of: Misery Signals, Mastodon, Monuments, Lamb of God, TesseracT

“My vision for Karoshi has always been to form a band that could incorporate my friends whenever the timing was right despite it being my main creative outlet. Because of this, the band has served as a space for freely exploring our musical identities over the years. Although I typically have a vision for the guitar and drum parts, “Idola” marks a new turning point for the band with the addition of Vocals by Adrian Parcioaga and Kyle Prusky (members of Our Last Crusade), and Brendan McGuigan on Synths. When I passed along the guitar and drum tracks to the guys in the middle of 2020, I wanted them to know that they had free reign over the material, and I am so proud of their contributions. Adrian formed a concept for the album that has our protagonist navigating each song as an interpretation of a tarot card, and Kyle was also the visionary for the final mix and mastering of the album (Apex Audio). I really believe that the relaxed nature of the band has allowed everyone to express themselves in a way that elevates each song to it’s highest potential. “The Heirophant” is our first single from the album, and it is an explosion of energy that aims to dissect concepts surrounding spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions, personal beliefs, freedom, and challenging the status quo. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed writing it. You can listen to “Idola” on any major streaming service as of August 1st, 2021.”

The Heirophant Lyrics:

Structured submission
Give as you’ve been told
Taught all you should know
Don’t question the lies that have taken hold

Rite and ritual
The nexus spiritual
Structured submission to the ghost
Complacent and comatose

Have you felt the fingers losing their grip?
I think you’re finally starting to slip

(I see)
Through the cracks begun to creep, I see the truth now slowly seeps
I see through the mist

Distantly
A faint flicker in the void, a whisper threatens to destroy
A flame burns low, all alone
Begging for a breath to fuel its fading form

Guide me no longer into caverns untouched by the sun
Where the light of day shines bright on our scene, I see all that you are
A conman masked in revelations, a barrier to autonomous thought
An aversion to self, preying on conformity to feed your power fantasy

Servant to the last
Shoulder for the lost
Keeper of flames now passed
A merchant of mystics just peddling dust
I hear through the din
I’m searching within
This loathed and captive skin:
Abandoning

A vulnerable soul just frightened to die
Inverted and begging for flight

Find yourself a new
Gullible mind to consume
Finally outgrown you
I sever the threads and claim existence
Distantly, a light
Flickers in the void
A frightened flame burns low
Begging for a breath to fuel its form
Glow

Like the mounting pressure on a dam about to split
The river reclaims the freedom once stolen from it
And is made whole again

Servant to the last
Shoulder for the lost
Keeper of flames now passed
A merchant of mystics just peddling dust
I hear through the din
I’m searching within
This loathed and captive skin:
Abandoning